Envelope-opening devices

ABSTRACT

An envelope-opening device comprising an integral plastic body having coextensive portions flexibly connected at one end by an integral transverse portion and a longitudinal envelope receiving and guiding open side slot having opposite surfaces on the respective coextensive body portions, with a cutting blade projecting from one of the surfaces into the slot at the end of the slot opposite the hinge portion.

I Umted States Patent [I51 3,639,983 Knipfing [4 1 Feb. 8, 1972 [54]ENVELOPE-OPENING DEVICES 2,8l5,572 12/1957 Deicken ..30/289 3,068,569l2/l962 CampbelL. ....30/294 [72] Inventor: Richard T. Kmptlng, 8004 SanJuan, NE, 3 H8 228 1 I 64 A Albuquerque, N. Mex 87108 9 dams .30/294[22] Filed: Jan. 13, 1970 Primary ExaminerTheron E. Condon AssistantExaminer-J. C. Peters l PP 2,507 Attorney-Strauch, Nolan, Neale, Nies &Kurz 152 us. Cl ..30/294 [57] ABSTRACT [5|] Int.Cl 4 ..B26b 29/00 Anenvelope-opening device comprising an integral plastic [58] Field atSearch ..30/289, 293, 294, DIG. 3 y having coextensive po ti flex y conected at one end by an integral transverse portion and a longitudinalen- [56] References Cited velope receiving and guiding open side slothaving opposite surfaces on the respective coextensive body portions,with a UNITED STATES PATENTS cutting blade projecting from one of thesurfaces into the slot at the end of the slot opposite the hingeportion. 693,660 2/1902 Lamont ..30/294 X 2,247,840 7/ l 941 Harrison..30/289 5 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEU FEB 8 I972 FIG. 6

l7 L/H FIG. 5

FIG. 3

INVENTOR.

RICHARD 7f K/V/PF/NG Wa QM,

ATTORNEYS ENVELOPE-OPENING DEVICES This invention relates to manualenvelope-opening devices of the type wherein a narrow edge margin issevered to enable the envelope contents to be withdrawn.

Devices of this type have been proposed such as disclosed in U.S.Letters Pat. Nos. 673,375; 1,943,193 and 2,815,572 and the presentinvention constitutes improvement over such prior devices by providing amechanically simple lightweight, inexpensive but markedly novelstructure that is readily fabricated and may be used with safety byanyone.

It is the major object of the invention to provide a novelenvelope-opening device wherein the envelope edge is passed through alaterally open slot disposed between two flexibly connected bodyportions and a projecting cutting blade is mounted on one of theportions to be displaced in the slot during the envelope-openingoperation. More specifically the body may be an integral block ofplastic formed along one edge with said envelope guide slot and alsoformed with a further slot extending deeply from the other edge todefine the coextensive body portions.

Further objects of the invention will appear as the description proceedsin connection with the appended claims and the annexed drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. I is a generally perspective viewshowing a letter-opening device according to a preferred embodiment ofthe invention;

FIG. 2 is atop plan view;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation showing the envelope guide slot;

FIG. 4 is an opposite side elevational view; and

FIGS. 5 and 6 are respective front and rear end views of the device.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The letter opener device of the inventioncomprises a body 11 of a suitable hard moldable plastic that ispreferably integral.

As shown, body 11 is provided along the entire length of one side withan envelope end edge receiving and guiding slot 12 that is laterallyopen (FIG. 3) and has a flared mouth 13 at the rear end for facilitatingentry of the edge of the envelope to be opened. Slot I2 is normallyotherwise preferably of constant depth and constant width.

At the forward end of slot 12, a cutting blade 14 having a downwardlyand forwardly inclined edge 15 projecting from the top surface 16 ofslot 12 is rigidly secured to the body portion 17 above slot 12. Bladeedge 15 is parallel to the longitudinally extending vertical backwall 18of slot 12. The bottom surface 19 of slot 12 is preferably parallel tothe top surface 16 in the relaxed position of the device as shown in thedrawings.

Body 11 is provided along the side opposite slot 12 with a relativelydeep slot 21 that (FIG. 4) extends from the solid transverse rear bodyportion 22 to be open at end 23 at the front end of the body. As shownin FIGS. 1 and 5, slot 21 extends across the body to intersect slot 12,whereby the upper body portion 17 carrying blade 14 is effectivelyconnected to the lower body portion 24 only by the relatively narrowsolid body end portion 22. Thus the integral body end portion 22 servesas a resilient transverse hinge flexibly interconnecting the upper andlower body portions.

Referring to FIG. 5, it will be seen that in the relaxed condition ofthe device, the upper body portion 17 has a relatively narrow dependinglongitudinal side ledge .25 of about the height of slot 12 and its lowerface is the top surface 16 of slot At its forward end the lower surface19 of slot 12 is formed with a depression 26 that is of sufficient depthto accommodate blade 14 during operation of the device as will now beexplained.

In operation, starting with the device in its normal relaxed conditionshown in the drawings, the comer of envelope E is the envelope betweenblade 14 and back wall 18 of the slot is severed cleanly as the envelopepasses through the slot.

The location and depth of depression 26 are such that the descendingblade edge can fully occupy the slot and also it prevents abutment ofthe blade edge with the slot bottom surface to preserve sharpness of theblade.

Body 11 may be an integral block of any suitably rigid plastic that hassufficient inherent resiliency to permit the hinge action at 22 andrestore to relaxed condition after being squeezed during the envelopeopening operation. The blade 14 may be fixedly incorporated into thebody 11 in any desired manner, and preferably it is permanentlyinstalled as by a molding or heat-forming operation so that the devicemay be a throwaway item.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departingfrom the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The presentembodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects asillustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention beingindicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoingdescription, and all changes which come within the meaning and range ofequivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent 1. Anenvelope-opening device comprising a body having a length dimensiongreater than its width, said body including coextensive portionsflexibly connected at one end by an integral hinge portion across thewidth of the body, and means defining a laterally open longitudinalenvelope receiving and guiding slot formed along one long side of saiddevice comprising three generally coextensive planar surfaces at rightangles to each other, two of said surfaces formed on one of said bodyportions, the remaining one of said surfaces formed on the other of saidbody portions and generally disposed parallel to one of said two bodyportions on said one body portion, and a cutting blade projecting fromone of said parallel surfaces towards the other of said parallelsurfaces at a point remote from said hinge portion, adjacent the end ofsaid body.

2. The envelope-opening device defined in claim 1, wherein said body isa substantially integral block of plastic material formed along one sideedge with said envelope guide slot and being transversely solid at saidhinge portion.

3. The envelope-opening device defined in claim 2, wherein said body islongitudinally and laterally slotted to provide said coextensive bodyportions forwardly of a relatively narrow rear transverse portion thatserves as said hinge portion.

4. The envelope-opening device defined in claim 2, wherein said blade issubstantially permanently secured to said one of said coextensive bodyportions.

5. The envelope-opening device defined in claim 3, wherein the bodyslots are substantially continuous laterally of the body forwardly ofsaid hinge portion.

1. An envelope-opening device comprising a body having a lengthdimension greater than its width, said body including coextensiveportions flexibly connected at one end by an integral hinge portionacross the width of the body, and means defining a laterally openlongitudinal envelope receiving and guiding slot formed along one longside of said device comprising three generally coextensive planarsurfaces at right angles to each other, two of said surfaces formed onone of said body portions, the remaining one of said surfaces formed onthe other of said body portions and generally disposed parallel to oneof said two body portions on said one body portion, and a cutting bladeprojecting from one of said parallel surfaces towards the other of saidparallel surfaces at a point remote from said hinge portion, adjacentthe end of said body.
 2. The envelope-opening device defined in claim 1,wherein said body is a substantially integral block of plastic materialformed along one side edge with said envelope guide slot and beingtransversely solid at said hinge portion.
 3. The envelope-opening devicedefined in claim 2, wherein said body is longitudinally and laterallyslotted to provide said coextensive body portions forwardly of arelatively narrow rear transverse portion that serves as said hingeportion.
 4. The envelope-opening device defined in claim 2, wherein saidblade is substantially permanently secured to said one of saidcoextensive body portions.
 5. The envelope-opening device defined inclaim 3, wherein the body slots are substAntially continuous laterallyof the body forwardly of said hinge portion.